November 01, 2010

This is only two of three said kids. The other one was off having a social life and promised to recreate Halloween with me today. We shall see. She overslept, didn't eat, and was generally hacked that she missed the bus.

But these two were great!

My husband took these pictures...right before we walked out the door. And in each and every one, my pirate has that string over her eye and is not smiling. Sigh. The gypsy opted for a hot pink long sleeved shirt at the last minute. By then, I didn't care one bit. Let's just get this party wagon moving!

They came home with a lot of this.....this is only about a quarter of it. I can feel my jeans getting tighter as I type.

So, as the week had been quite full of fun and frolic (ha!) I spend the morning of Halloween making sure that when you looked in our door you didn't see piles of laundry and the dog slobber. Our loving canine, Yukon, is being a pill in his old age and refuses to eat outside. Being old, its just not good for him to not eat...so his bowl is inside the front door now. He slings his food/slobber everywhere. Its disgusting, but I have soft spot for the old guy and his eye boogers.

So I hounded BBQdude into hanging the mirror, and I tried out my new window treatments.

Yes, we painted our living room/dining room/kitchen about six months ago. Yes, I've been living with bare walls. Except the vinyl bird. I had to do something! He hung this shelf and the mirror last week. You can see I've gotten right on the decorating (insert eyeroll). Its been a crazy, busy three months. I like to harass BBQdude, but I'm just as bad. I have to admit that walking in there today made it look like we tried to decorate at least. In the next picture you will see that I still have some leftovers from our previous color scheme, and some sewing to do. I should take pictures more often...because it really makes you see it through new eyes.

Yuk! That plum throw! And really that small pillow too. ICK! I can get over the pile, cuz I can move it. It was stuck there by vacuuming child, and piled with library books and drawings for me. But EW! Sheesh, how come I don't see that when I walk by? I think I want to do something to the rocking chair too. Make the green, black? Dark brown the natural? Suggestions peeps!

Have you noticed my window treatments yet? They were a blogland sensation a few months back. I got the rods on clearance, and in my garage they lived while we painted. You can see how how they are too long in the picture above this one. BBQdude thinks I should tea stain them. I was more along the lines of adding a fabric strip somewhere near the bottom. We both agreed on raising them to almost the top of the wall.

Oh, and here I get to show you my fabo find....the side table. I wandered into the Idaho Youth Ranch Thrift Store and spotted that guy. $25!!! I didn't hesitate. I love the claw feet and it has a drawer. It was bye-bye, good riddance, adios, and don't let the door hit you in the bum on the way out, to the 80's oak & glass table from my husband's prior life. Alleluia! FINALLY....I am rid of all that is 80's hell wrapped up in oak. Should I paint it? I need to do something over there.

So, I beg ask for some lamps and clocks from my parents, and they let me have them. Of course. Actually, they have so much stuff, it doesn't matter one bit to them. To me, its fond memories. That lamp sat on my father's desk for most of my life. It only recently retired to the bedroom, for necessity's sake. I can't decide if I should paint it or not....its forrest green. It would be lovely any other color. I think that says I've decided to paint it. I unplug this lamp to vacuum a lot, and every time I think that it's maker never would have imagined halogen bulbs in it. I hope it doesn't freak out. Yeah, I'm weird. At any rate, the lamp makes me happy every time I see it....and yes, that is my geeky little Girl Scout Brownie self in the picture. I need to do something about that picture. It was just there when I cleaned up my table.

So there you have it. The boring life of a stay at home mom without the bon bons.

October 18, 2010

Eh. Well, all you moms know how that first month of school is SUCH an adjustment. After you've basically goofed off for 2.5 months, except for vacation planning and child entertainment, (yeah, right...goofed off my patookie!) you've lost your groove. So, the blog suffereth. ;P

Everyone is safely back in school. Bean has started junior high, and has already lost about eight thousand things. You think I jest? Let's see....one gym shoe (yes, one), gym lock, math book, sweatshirt,concert music,and audition music. Ok so maybe, 8K was a slight exageration. Her father has given her a once a month "Get Out of Jail Free" card by saying he will deliver items to her exactly once a month, no more. But I made the mistake of calling my mother and mentioning that Bean had left her gym clothes behind this morning, after a late night desperation washing. I wasn't going to take them. Then I talked to my mother. Sigh. My mother loves my children more than she loves me, so she poured on the guilt about how they had rescued me with keys to a locked car, empty gas tanks and such. I rememinded her that that had not happend more than twice, and if I had left my gym clothes behind, I new better than to call my mother. Because there is NO WAY she would have brought them to me. She chuckled, but the seeds were sewn.

Doesn't she look sweet? Don't let her fool you. ;) She's acutally a lovely girl. I'm very proud of her most of the time. Sometimes, when she spills cat water across my dining room and leaves it like fairies are coming to clean it up, I'm not as proud. But hey, she came by her lack of cleaning skills through DNA. Mine. My mom...neat freak, obviously, I was adopted.

So, if you are a seasoned mom, you know that "Wow, I've gone back to school!" feeling when your kids ask for help with homework. And by help, I mean that you have to read the whole book to figure out what the heck they are supposed to be doing. Last year I had a ton of "help me with history" which really meant, "read this and tell me the answers". Um. No. This year, we have some forced reading, but everything else seems manageable. BlingBling has lots of work this year. All the normal math, spelling, history, reading...and she's added an instrument, flute. Its become our family instrument. Thank you, Cousin Donna, all those years ago for making me want to be smart and competent like you. Now my daughters are following in my footsteps. At least two of them so far.

.........which was cool, but she followed the drum majors more than the musicians. Which is just fine. I am just more than curious how this will unfold.

Anyhow, that's my excuse. And I'm stickin' to it. Life should get back to pretty dull here soon. Auditions will be over, uniforms have been fitted, ordered, arrived, and now its time for Halloween. In the meantime, its getting cooler and the warmer clothing must come out. Its that crazy time of year.

August 15, 2010

After a whirlwind trip to California, to see my folks, visit with my brother & his wife, and hit Disneyland, I am feeling like I can't catch up. Granted, we came back home to the last two nights of VBS, the two messiest nights. It went smoothly, as there were less kids by then, but still....Ok so I'm complaining. :D

I guess I'm just ready for summer to be complete and the relative "normalcy" of the school year to begin. Not that this has been a bad summer, its just time. Time for projects, naps, shopping without kids, and hour that stays clean most of the day.

Today we went to the mall for a few school items. Clothes. My oldest daughter is a chip off the old block and hates trying on clothing as much as I do. She and I are starting the C25K again (For me, first time for her) tomorrow morning. I'm also starting Weight Watchers. Online. I don't need anymore outings. If I need the meetings I'll sign up for those and pay the fee. I'm about to ask my friend Alex to take me on a tour of her gym too. She offtered before my vacation, but I just wasn't there yet. While I feel ok, I can't stand pictures of myself and realizing that I"m still a young (relatively) woman who looks like THAT!

I also don't like that I've never gotten a real handle on this thing called body image and weight. I can raise three girls, take care of two cats and a dog, get dinner on the table, make sure everyone is where they need to be, but I can't get control of my weight? I can dispatch emergency vehicles, talk to panicked callers, but I can't control my weight? WTH!? I'm frustrated, can you hear it?

July 23, 2010

And let me just tell you. I hate it. These are swaps. Completed swaps that I have had in my bag. Some since February. And...I found them in April apparently, because I put them all together. Gosh, I have got to figure this out. I had NO IDEA they were there. I marked them out of my book as completed. Then completely spaced mailing them. My mojo has been kinda absent, so I didn't get into my totes at all. Ugh...sorry ladies. I'm glad most of you are so forgiving.

At any rate, my quilting group has been coming right along. We just finished my friend, Sue's prayer quilt. Sue had some cancer taken off her leg that had waited WAY too long, due to the extreme health concerns of her husband, who, (Praise God!) has a new heart machine and looks GREAT! I'm so thankful, as they are both inspirations in faith. Now we just got Sue better, but had already started her this quilt. It is made entirely from the stash in the quilting closet. I'm happy to report that some of this quilt makes me so happy. It was from my personal stash and about 15 years old. The back was a piece I got to make a spring dress from. :D

And this is the Busy Hands ladies. That's me, the pup. I like this group. They make me feel youthful. I need some color. :D

July 13, 2010

This is the face of a killer. Right now, he is meowing mercilessly at me from the hallway.

But, he's in lockdown. You see, this face wants birds. And mice.

And I do NOT want mice, or birds for that matter.I especially do not want them in the house. And I'm a little tired of rescuing them to Kleenex boxes.

Birdies, hear my words. Do not nest in the tree across the street. There is a killer about. He thinks you are better than balls with bells and sticks with strings. Yet, every year you persist. We try to help you out, but there is only so much we can do. And we are not the only killer owners. There are stray killers, and other outside killers. I'm not even certain that squirrels like you that much.

June 26, 2010

So after some serious Facebook poking, and getting angry with my tween, I'm back to share just a portion of what is going on today in La Casa Dawson.

Don't be jealous.

I know. Its a thrill a minute.

See that towel on top? (yeah, I'm a little ADD, just go with it.) It was this beautiful aqua Nautica towel. I got it on sale or with a coupon or something because the color was just lovely. I got one and was gradually going to purchase more. I'm SO glad I did not. See the pukey color it is now!? I just washed it like I wash all my other (Costco) towels who still look nice, even in their tattered states. I am seriously consider going to all white towels. How easy it would be to just throw them all in with some bleach and come out looking great and spa-like.

Stay tuned. More white-knuckle house cleaning and maintenance to come!

Sooooo....yesterday was quite a day. It had some really nice fun moments, but then kinda went south.

First, we just had the normal band practice. But it was at a different locations, a few minutes further away. Then we had to have something "animal print" to wear. I needed to make dinner. And I went on a small shopping trip with my friend. I got a great broomstick skirt for under $10, and a pair of white shoes for next year (for one of my girls) $5, and a Christmas gift (pair of boots, also girls) for $14! Score! And my friend, and fellow band mom, gave me a bag of outgrown clothing for my youngest. Score again! Snickerdoodle is thrilled, and wants to wear everything in one day.

So....took kids to the pool, ran for quick stop for groceries, locked keys in the house on the return. Someone didn't put the spare back, and I was due to pick up kids at the pool. Hubs ran by, opened the garage door, I ran to get kids, came home, sewed headbands, let them snack/shower, and loaded up to the concert.

After concert....dinner, and home. Home to find my fridge had been left open for four hours! UGH. What a day!

So...if you are still reading, I wasn't really shocked to find today starting out with this little fellow. Louie decided to leave us a gift. He's so thoughtful.

As you can see, our visitor, Toby, is very curious. And excited about the camera. He barked at me a lot.

I dunno why animal eyes always look like this. Crazy possessed aliens. But really they are just pets.

So, I stepped outside, on my errand to Home Depot. To this bit of loveliness. Sometimes, I think God just says, "Hey you! Smile!" So I did.

Ok. finally at my destination.

And left with this. I got chalkboard paint, a spare piece of drywall for the the "board" part, paint for my dining room light fixture, river rocks for my garden, solar lights for my flower garden, bug bite stuff for camp, insect spray for my front door area, and Shout for my laundry stains. Now I need to get to work. And so do my girlies.

More of my truly exciting (to me, because I have no where to go!) day to come. I'm wearing my camera today!